






Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J., her best friend, is "allergic to everything", and sticks with Vada despite her hangups. When Vada's father hires Shelly, and begins to fall for her, things take a turn to the worse...
Acting
Anna Chlumsky's pitch-perfect kid performance—never cutesy, always real
Writing
Dialogue that nails how kids actually talk about death, love, everything
Production
1972 Pennsylvania funeral home aesthetic is weirdly cozy

Director
Howard Zieff
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes